


turn of the tide

by marvelthismarvelthat



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Gen, mostly just angst, with a slightly hopeful undertone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 15:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17164619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelthismarvelthat/pseuds/marvelthismarvelthat
Summary: After everything that happened in the future, Daisy's just not in the Christmas spirit. But Robbie's hoping he can help her get there.





	turn of the tide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fierysky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fierysky/gifts).



> full disclosure: this is unbetaed and it's the first fic i've finished in like six months.

Daisy had spent a long time hating Christmas.

When she was a kid, people at school would always tell her that she should love Christmas, that it was the greatest holiday ever because it was when people would get together with their family, the people they loved, to celebrate the coming of Jesus and show how much they cherished each other.

Except Daisy had never had that.

Year after year, she’d _‘celebrated’_ the holidays without any family, usually spending Christmas at the orphanage surrounded by serious nuns who were very strict in their belief of how Christmas should be celebrated. In their opinion, Christmas was a time to repent and pray so they could welcome the Lord properly. Nothing more, nothing less.

And the few families she got to spend Christmas with? They didn’t even _try_ to make Daisy feel like she was part of the family, let alone like she was welcome at their family celebrations. If anything, they’d done everything they could to exclude her.

For the longest time, the Holidays had just been a bitter reminder of what Daisy _didn’t_ have—a family or anyone that loved her enough to spend it with her.

But then she’d met her team.

Her family.

And the tide had turned.

Though it seemed like they were always facing one crisis or another, every year they’d made sure to make time to get together for the Holidays, no matter how much a crisis delayed them. And most of all, they’d made sure to make Daisy feel like she was welcome, like her presence in their celebrations was cherished.

They hadn't exactly managed to form a Christmas tradition, but between the occasional annual Holiday gathering, the haphazardly planned gift exchanges, the festive atmosphere, and the feeling of family, Daisy had finally been won over by the time of year.

In recent years she’d even started going all out—putting decorations up over every inch of the base, planning the gathering herself, and finding everyone the _perfect_ gifts.

One could even say it was now her favorite time of year.

But after the year they’d had? She just didn’t feel like doing anything remotely close to a celebration.

Between Lincoln, the Framework, and a tryst in space where she got tossed into a fighting pit, she had no Holiday spirit to speak of. All she wanted to do was curl up in a corner and sleep until her ribs and face recovered from the fights at the Crater.

Too bad Coulson refused to let her.  In his opinion, a celebration was _exactly_ what they needed to lift their spirits. Maybe he was right. But that didn’t mean she was going to be happy about it. Or that she wasn’t going to glare at the agents running around putting decorations up all over the damn place while she sat on the common room couch.

She just wanted some peace and quiet. And to not be confined to base because her face was plastered all over the freaking news.

“ _Dios mío._ Are you trying to make the tree wilt by glaring at it?”

Daisy jumped at the sound of Robbie’s voice, before turning to glare at him, barely containing a wince as the motion pulled on her broken ribs. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to sneak up on people with superpowers?”

Robbie had shown up two days earlier, looking harried and exhausted and missing his signature leather jacket. Nobody was sure how he’d found their new base, especially considering they’d only been there for a week before he was knocking on their door, but nobody felt like asking about it. Not now that they knew the details of Coulson’s deal with the Ghost Rider.

Robbie smirked in that way that went right through her and gave her a half shrug. “Nah. Want some coffee?”

Daisy raised an eyebrow. If the last two days had taught her anything, it was that Robbie’s idea of what constituted coffee was completely different from hers. “Depends on what you’re calling _coffee_ today.”

“Something that isn’t bitter garbage like your American coffee, _mija._ ” Robbie grinned.

Daisy snorted and rolled her eyes. “Fine, but _only_ if you bring me my meds from the kitchen with your sad excuse for coffee.”

Robbie’s easy grin disappeared, his countenance shifting to something akin to worry at the mention of her medications, but he didn’t say anything in return, instead going into the kitchen area to retrieve them and make the coffee. Within a few minutes the smell of coffee filled the common room, and Daisy faked a gag when Robbie started walking towards her with two mugs and two pill bottles in hand.

“Stop being dramatic.” Robbie held out the bottles and mug, his eyes scanning her face. “You look like shit, by the way.”

“Gee, thanks.” Daisy muttered, swallowing her meds with a gulp of coffee as Robbie took a seat next to her on the couch. “What every girl wants to hear.”

Robbie grimaced, somewhat regretting his choice of words. “No offence.”

“Offence absolutely taken, carrot top.” Daisy bumped her shoulder against his. “It’s all in a day’s work around here.” She paused, taking another sip of coffee, scrunching her nose at the taste. “Or a day’s work in space, I guess.”

The mere thought of space was enough to bring her mood back down to where it was before Robbie had come in the room. Nothing good had come from their time in the future, and everything that had happened while they’d been there was slowly tearing away at her heart, dragging her down into that hollow darkness she was so familiar with. She wished she could just forget it all.

Robbie frowned at Daisy’s sudden shift in mood. He recognized the far off, sad look on her face, the emptiness and sorrow that came with it. He’d seen it in the mirror for so long after making the deal with the Ghost Rider, and it’d only gone away after he’d made peace with his fate. It made his stomach churn to see that look on Daisy’s face now.

He reached out, placing a hand on top of Daisy’s, ignoring the puzzled glance she shot him at the contact. “You sure you’re okay?”

Daisy shrugged noncommittally, not pulling her hand away. “Nothing a few weeks of antibiotics and painkillers can’t help.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Daisy knew _exactly_ what he’d meant. She knew Robbie had heard enough from the team to know what had gone on in space. She just didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t ready to face all the dark and gritty things she was feeling.  

But she had to admit, it was sweet that he was worried about her. So she settled for giving him a small half smile and meeting his eyes. “I’ll get there.” At least she hoped she would.

Robbie held her gaze for a moment, contemplating whether she was being truthful, then he stood and extended a hand to her, an expectant look on his face. “Come on, that tree is halfway decorated and it looks dumb.”

Daisy chuckled sadly, looking down at her lap. “I’m not really in the mood.” Part of her really wished she was feeling up to it, but she wasn’t. She didn’t even have the energy to pretend she was.

“Fine. All you gotta do is sit there, hand me ornaments, and tell me where to put them.”

“Robbie.” Daisy shot him a pointed look. “I don’t want to.”

Letting out an exasperated huff, Robbie plopped back down onto the couch. “You know, all I keep hearing from the team is how much you _love_ Christmas. I’m thinking they’re messin’ with me.” When Daisy didn’t take the bait he put a hand on her knee. “Sitting here won’t help you feel better, _cariño_.”

Daisy shrugged. “Bah-hum-bug. Can’t I wallow in peace? Because that’s all I want to do right now.”

Robbie nodded absently. He understood that. Sometimes you just weren't ready to stop feeling so miserable. “Well, I'm gonna start decorating the tree.” He said. “If you want to help then you can, and if you don't... I'll tell the others you did anyway.”

Daisy stared at him for a moment, and then, for the first time in days, managed a tired smile as she curled further into the couch. “Thanks.”

Her words weren’t empty-- she truly was grateful that he’d lie for her. She knew that the others were worried about her after everything. She just didn’t have the energy to put up a front, much less move past it. Not right now, anyway. But that didn’t mean she liked making the team worry.

So the fact that Robbie was willing to appease their worries for her… it meant a lot.

“Hey, does that stocking have my name on it?”

Daisy looked up at the sound of Robbie’s voice, almost startled, finding him holding up a stocking that had _Roberto_ embroidered at the top. “Oh. Yeah. Coulson insisted we get you one when you showed up.” She paused, her brow furrowing. “He’s really been leaning into the whole dorky dad vibe recently. It’d be funny if he weren’t…”

“I’m sorry.” Robbie looked down, staring at the stocking in his hand, emotion climbing in his throat.

“It’s not your fault. He knew what he was signing up for.”

Robbie rubbed a hand over his chin and turned back to the tree, mulling over how to cheer the conversation up. “So, uh, the stockings…” He gestured vaguely at the stockings lining the wall. “They tradition around here?”

Daisy snorted. “More like the _only_ tradition. Or at least the only reliable one. There’s always some crisis or another around Christmas so we never really get to celebrate, not like most people do. But every year Coulson puts up the stockings and makes sure they’re all full to the brim with gifts by the twenty-fifth.”

Truth was, the SHIELD stocking tradition was more Christmas tradition than she’d ever known as a kid. Getting to open a stocking full of gifts just for her made her inexplicably happy. It was special, and it was enough.

“Sounds nice.”

“It is. Nothing like a stocking full of candy and socks to make Christmas feel like Christmas.” Daisy trailed off, momentarily lost in the memories of previous years spent sorting through stockings on Christmas morning.

The knowledge that Coulson wouldn’t be there to make sure the stockings were full next year made her ache. But she squashed it down, and looked up at Robbie, finding him stringing tinsel around the tree. “What about you? What Christmas traditions do you have?”

Robbie threw a grin over his shoulder. “When my mom was still alive, our _Navidades_ always started with _Las Posadas_. But we haven’t really done that since…” He cleared his throat, shaking off the thought. “Our big celebration is on _Noche Buena_ —Christmas Eve, that’s when we get together and have the big family dinners. And do the big gift exchange. It was always my favorite day of the year growing up. Christmas morning we’d always get to open up gifts too, but they weren’t from Santa—they were from _El Niñito Jesus_. And then there was Three Kings Day.” Robbie huffed a laugh and picked up a few more ornaments. “We always made sure to put out the best grass for the camels, so their bellies would be happy and full after they worked so hard to get us our presents.”

Daisy smiled as he trailed off, catching Robbie’s eye. “God, I can’t even imagine what that’s like. It seems so wonderful.”

Having put the last few ornaments on the tree, Robbie dropped back to the couch next to her, flashing Daisy a rueful smile.  “It was. I wish I could spend Christmas with Gabe this year. Make it something special after everything that’s happened.”

“You still could, you know?” Daisy shifted closer. “I can bring hi—”

Robbie shook his head ardently. “No, it’s safer if he stays with your friend. I don’t want to risk it.”

“If you’re sure.” She reached out with a wince, leaning against him and putting a hand on his knee. “For what it’s worth, Gabe says Felicity’s really tried to do what she can to keep your family’s traditions alive for him. He seemed excited about the Christmas celebrations they have planned.”

“Thank you. That’s— It’s--” Robbie cut off, placing a hand over Daisy’s, swallowing the emotion. “It makes me so happy to hear that. _Navidad_ — it’s special for us. Thank her for me, next time you talk to her, please?”

“I will.” Daisy smiled, her head falling to his shoulder. “Maybe this year we can try to do something for… Nocho Bueno?”

Robbie laughed at Daisy’s butchered pronunciation of the name. “Not bad. But I think you mean _Noche Buena_.”

“Oh, shut up.” Daisy groaned, letting herself sink further into Robbie’s side, the effects of the pain medication starting to take over. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. But maybe it’d be nice… as long as the bad guys stay away. Maybe Elena would like it too.”

Robbie dropped his head to rest against Daisy’s, letting their hands intertwine. “I’d love that.”

**Author's Note:**

> kudos or comments are the best christmas gift this author could get! tell me what you thought!


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